


Christmas in the Black

by Dustbunnygirl



Category: Firefly/Serenity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-25
Updated: 2007-12-25
Packaged: 2018-08-14 08:29:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8005750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dustbunnygirl/pseuds/Dustbunnygirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaylee gets bit by the Christmas spirit</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas in the Black

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Christmas in the Black  
>  Fandom: Firefly/Serenity  
>  Word count: 660  
>  Warnings: None. Not even any foul language, damn it.  
>  Summary: Kaylee gets bit by the Christmas spirit

As Christmas trees went – even artificial ones – it was bizarre. Lacking any real way to hide a pine tree on Serenity for any length of time, and pine trees being a bit scarce on most of the planets they’d visited in the last few months anyway, Kaylee had to get creative. Most of the assembly went on in the engine room, since nobody else was prone to wandering down there much besides her and its where the majority of her building material came from which just made it convenient. Her creation was built in sections – stages, really – that she’d been carrying out to the cargo room one at a time since sometime around midnight. Now, in the muted light of the empty bay, with bits of her fabricated tree flashing intermittently as she arranged things and attached things and plugged others in, the conglomeration of spare parts and broken tools began to take on a warm, if not artificial, glow.

“You didn’t mind givin’ up a few pieces you didn’t need anymore for the cause, did you girl?” she whispered to the humming hulk of ship surrounding her as she connected another set of blinking lights. Serenity continued her content, slumbering rumble and that worked as much as an affirmative answer as anything to Kaylee.

The other decorations had been easier. Muted green paper chains draped the catwalks like garland and bits of squirreled away ribbon in dozens of shades of red twisted into bows hung on anything that stood still. It was an undertaking of months, her little project, of secret purchases and hidden troves of odd treasure. The little mechanic even considered stockings at one point, went so far as to plan out how to steal away a sock from each of the crew’s laundry, but without a proper fireplace to hang them by it somehow lost its appeal. The carefully wrapped packages beneath her handmade tree were enough, she figured, even if the brown paper she had to wrap them in lacked something of the festive mood she was going for. There was a gift for every person on the ship – even Jayne.

As the last of the blinking bits fit into place, vaguely star-shaped and bright on the top of the makeshift tree, someone cleared their throat loudly and with purpose behind Kaylee. When she turned to suss out the source, she found Mal standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest and a hard to read look on his face.

“Little late for arts and crafts, don’t you think, Kaylee?” he asked.

“Now, Cap’n, don’t get tetchy on me. It’s just a little festive to-doin’, that’s all. Good for crew morale.”

“So’s havin’ a well-rested mechanic,” he said, still wearing that stern look. “So if you’re done playin’ elf, get yourself to bed.”

“You don’t have to be such a grouch about it,” she said as she climbed down the stepladder, tweaking “limbs” as she descended. A real tree would’ve been something to see for sure, she thought as she backed away from her masterpiece. Decked out in shiny things and glittering things and gentle, fragile bits. Would’ve been real nice. But as she took in the whole thing, curling wires and struts and erratic blinking lights, she had to admit this was definitely the next best thing.

“Can’t help it. I’m just a mean old man.”

“No you’re not,” Kaylee said as she slipped past him to ascend the stairs, repeating the answer she’d given him ages ago when he’d said the exact same thing to her in the sick bay. Before her foot found the first step she stopped and turned, stretching onto her toes to kiss Mal’s nearest cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Cap’n,” she said with a grin before scurrying up the stairs like St. Nick himself was shooing her to her room.

She only stopped for a second when she heard Mal chuckle and say, “Merry Christmas” back.


End file.
